The last couple of years have made the impact of AI on the workplace impossible to ignore. Layoffs abound, with many companies directly stating that the reason is to either reap AI efficiencies or reallocate resources for AI buildouts. Meanwhile, AI use is increasingly becoming a stated criterion for employee advancement, with mixed results including controversial practices like tokenmaxxing, where employees compete to use the most AI, emerging. All of this leads to the question: What does an employee need to be to develop the ideal human plus AI partnership that drives business success? I argue that the industry is converging on five elements in such a professional: Trust, Tenacity, Taste, Technicality, and Tokens.
Trust
In a world where AI can create anything, the assessment of a human shifts from what they can create to whether they can be trusted. Trust may not be in the ethical sense (although that certainly matters). It also includes trust that an employee will fit in well with the team, will make good decisions, and be accountable. For example, we are seeing trends where the final stage of the interview is now working for a week with the team – the ultimate test of who the new employees are beyond whatever AI-generated elements may exist on their resume or in their portfolio. Trust is also between humans. If someone I trust also trusts you, trust can be transferred.
Tenacity
Tenacity is the trait of not giving up. AI makes the first solution easy and achievable for everyone. The question is, do you have what it takes to find the issues in the solution the AI tells you is perfect, and make it better? That trait will set you apart.
Taste
Taste is the new name for what we may have previously called domain expertise, instinct, or judgment. In a world where AI can build anything that anyone asks for, the edge is not in building something or building it fast. It is in deciding whether to build it at all. Much like a master chef can look at a range of ingredients and decide on a dish to make, whereas a junior chef may build several things and try them, the master chef will likely reach a delicious outcome faster.
Technicality
Now that AI use (whether it be prompting or something deeper) is critical to getting things done at speed, the effectiveness of a human employee will also depend on their technical skills in using tools. This does not just mean prompting. It also means understanding your own AI force multiplier with tools and judiciously selecting tools that best complement your Taste and the needs of your business.
Tokens
Finally, nothing happens without tokens. That said, the easiest way to use tokens is often not the best way. Can you use tokens effectively? Can you show your business that you understand the relationship between tokens and business outcomes? Are you able to generate a positive ROI for your company after token costs are taken into account? This is how you justify your salary. While companies are actively promoting AI use as a condition for promotion or advancement, mounting AI bills and practices like tokenmaxxing (where employees compete to see who can consume the most tokens) are affecting budgets in ways that are not productive. Employees who understand their AI force multiplier and can not just use tokens but use them productively will demonstrate increasing value as companies understand that just growing token use is not enough.
One may think that technicality and tokens overlap. They certainly can, in that a good AI design is likely one that is token-efficient per business outcome. However, there is more to technicality than just effective token use. It also means understanding how tools work well enough to select the right ones for your task, understanding appropriate workflows, data protection mechanisms, etc.
Takeaways For Individuals
If you are an individual professional, you can assemble a portfolio of these values either within your current organization or on your own.
- Many of the values (such as trust and tenacity) were important even before AI came into play. They are just more important than ever now. Build your network and grow the community of mutual trust within it. If you have a job, your coworkers are a great place to do this. If you are unemployed, join online or local communities in your area and domain, get to know people, stay in touch with former colleagues, and find ways to work together.
- Technicality and Tokens. If your AI fluency to date is not sufficient, it is important to learn. Understand how AI is used in your domain, and experiment with different tools as part of your workflow.
- Taste comes with time. Much like Trust and Tenacity, Taste is not new. We used to call it instinct, judgment, or experience. It is best acquired by doing. The new flavor of Taste is that the experience, when it includes doing something with AI, is more valuable than doing it without AI. Wherever possible, try to do projects using the AI tools appropriate for your domain and approved by your organization. The outcome is valuable, but what is more valuable is what insights you gained from the process.
Takeaways for Business Leaders
AI transformation has been difficult even before the recent explosion of AI tools. In many cases, the challenge comes from the fact that successful transformation requires absorption within many facets of the organization while also representing both a technical and non-technical shift. The 5 T’s show this complexity.
- To encourage success, drive a culture where all of these elements are valued, assessed, and rewarded.
- Provide employees with specific guidance and tools wherever possible to improve their performance. Many companies have already built in processes or values for Trust and Tenacity, and implicitly or explicitly value Taste. Adding training on Technicality and Tools and explaining how they relate to the other elements can help employees factor these into the overall process.
